The daily herald. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1886-1887, 1887-03-31
THURSDAY, MARCH 81, 1887
A DIFFERENCE.


II is sometimes said, and with truth
that countries from which Hawaii j:
supposed to take the cue in civilization
frequently discount this Kingdom in
specimens Of obliquity and downright
dishonesty on the part Of public men,
More than the general statement in
question must, however, be adduced
before "little Hawaii" can claim to
occupy no lower moral plane, in
respect to those having the control Of
affairs, than the older and larger nations
referred to. Without drawing up com
parsons, as might be done, to show
that there is more opportunity or scope
for official turpltude in those greater
countries than in Hawaii, it may be
demonstrated that the public morality
Of this Kingdom is of far lower pro
portionate grade than that Of either
America or England. This result may
be obtained by drawing a parallel be-
tween the different ways in which
official rascality is regarded and treated
by those great communities and this
much lesser one. Take first, for in
stance, the Presidential elections in the
United States. If in those over
shadowing national events in the
neighboring Republic one thing has
been demonstrated more than another,
during the past quarter Of century, it
is that no man, however transcendant
his ability n signal his achievements in
the halls Of legislation, need aspire to
the chief magistracy Of the nation
whose political record is not clean and
straight. United States political history
for the past fifteen or twenty years is
strewn with the total wrecks Of brilliant
men, who shattered their regulations
and their hopes for advancement at
the hands Of the supreme people upon
the rock of the Credit Mobilier scandal.
Mr.. Blaine lost the Presidency at the
last two elections, there is no doubt,
owing to his inability to clear himself
of the implication Of combining specu-'
lative enterprise with his South Ameri-
can policy when he was Secretary Of
State. II is, perhaps, needless, in this
connection, to cite the case OF General
Butler one of the smartest men in the
Union, although on some points rather
cratic, whose ambition has been foiled
again and again chiefly on account of a
hazy record.
Turning now to England, what do
we see : Men Of more than ordinary
capacity for affairs thrust into the outer
darkness Of political nonentity, because
of ofenses committed against the public
moral sense, even when their course in
politics has been straightforward and
upright Public men there have still
less consideration shown them if they
are caught in any official delinquency
or IN any act designed to thwart the
tree course Of the ruling popular will.
When any question affecting the hon
esty or integigity Of public men comes
up in Parliament, the Government and
Opposition parties vie with one another
III facilitating measures for full and
prompt investigation About the latest
instance Of this fact is to be found in
the case of charges Of corruption pre-
ferred againstthe corporation ofLondon.
Mr.. Howell, Liberal member, asked
the Conservative Government, in the
House Of Commons, to assent to the
appointment of committee to
enquire into corrupt expenditures
by the corporation of London on
bogus meetings, the audiences Of
which were hired, for the purpose Of
defeating the bill for the reform of the
London government He said he had
seen documents which proved that
members Of the corporation had d.
yerted ao,coo of the public moneys
IN an effort to defeat the measure be-
fore Parliament Gladstone declared
that the matter was Of the greatest i'm